Amnon Weinstein’s portrait by Professor Daniel Levin at the entrance to the exhibition

The Maltz Museum has done it again: another great show that makes one feel sorry for people who do not live in Cleveland! Leading an unprecedented consortium of such distinguished institutions like Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Jewish Federation, Ideastream, and Facing History and Ourselves, Maltz showcases 19 violins that outlived their owners murdered during the Holocaust.

In a unique Maltz’s way, the exhibit incorporates music, video, images, and stories providing a multisensory experience for an inquisitive visitor. Primo Levy described the happy marches played by an orchestra made of the Auschwitz inmates as a torture, a cacophony of sounds meant to humiliate and oppress. But even in the Nazi camps, music was often a source of hope, an undying sign of humanity.

On October 4th, we were lucky to meet a person behind the exhibit. Amnon Weinstein of Tel-Aviv, a genius violin-maker, has been restoring violins that used to be owned by Jewish musicians who perished during the Holocaust. Weinstein, who lost numerous family members during the war, said that when his violins are played by the best musicians around the world, they create music in honor of six million victims.

The exhibition is on view October 2nd– January 3rd. The exhibit is accompanied by a diverse program of events, including concerts, lectures, plays, tours, and discussions. For a complete list of events visit